22nd Annual Event
Lela Alston is the State Senator for Legislative District 5, a district that oversees northern Phoenix, currently running for the State Representative for LD5. Lela is passionate about voting rights, reproductive rights, and public education. She is the longest-serving legislator in Arizona history.
Lela was born and grew up in Phoenix. She graduated from Phoenix Union High School, which she says influences her views on public education. She then went on to receive her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and her master’s degree from Arizona State University, all while teaching full-time for the Phoenix Union High School District
In 1976, Lela was elected to the Arizona State Senate and has been a member of the Arizona Legislature since then. She served on the Arizona State Senate from 1977 to 1995 and from 2019 to the present. She also served on the Arizona State House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. During her tenure, Lela served on the appropriations committee for 18 years, where she focused on supporting programs that would strengthen and empower education and healthcare in the state. She has also contributed greatly to addressing homelessness by securing $150 million for the Housing Trust Fund. In 2008, Lela was elected to the governing body of the Phoenix Union High School District, where she has continued serving students and families in Phoenix.
Lela has been the recipient of multiple awards and designations, including becoming an Honorary State Firefighter for dedication to her community and receiving the Girl Scouts’ 2002 World of Children Award for her dedication to Arizona youth and the next generation.
As a member of the legislature, Lela is passionate about education, health care, democracy, the environment, and the economy. She is a champion for voting rights and has always fought against misinformation. She supports bills that aim to improve accountability of public schools and advocates for free school meals as well as free, full-day kindergarten. Lela is a strong voice for women’s rights, including the right to an abortion and access to contraception. Specifically, she has co-sponsored bills that would reduce restrictions on abortion and expand who can provide abortions. Finally, she is in favor of many bills that would bring further biotechnology research into the state, which would attract more businesses and more families.